The Perfect Curse
by The Kat1
Summary: Five years after Hogwarts and their failed relationship, Lily and James run into eachother and bitter feelings are rekindled. Could it be Fate, or something else? L/J. Slight AU. Rewrite of an older fic.
1. When Grocery Carts Collide

**Five years after Hogwarts and their failed relationship, Lily and James run into eachother and bitter feelings are rekindled. Could it be Fate, or something else? L/J. Slight AU.**

**The Perfect Curse**** By The Kat **

**Chapter One: When Grocery Carts Collide**

Bzzzzzzzzz…

A petite redhead woke from her stupor and reached up to brush a hand over her head. She hastily snatched the red memo that was swirling frantically above her.

"_What_?" she grumbled to herself as she unraveled it.

Around her, the Department of International Magical Cooperation was alive with chatter and bustling workers, buzzing around her like the fiery red interdepartmental memos. Beside her, ten little desks were ordered neatly in rows, surrounded by teeming piles of file folders, all awaiting their journey to the expansive shelves that lined the walls.

_Griswold is staring right at you, Lily. Look busy, damn it!_

Lily gulped, crumpled up the note and began shuffling randomly through the contents of her desk. She peered up and caught sight of a miserly one-eyed man, hobbling about on a cane. His good eye rounded on her and narrowed slightly. She blushed and grinned brightly, randomly stapling some parchment as a teetering stack of files collapsed across her desk. Parchment spewed everywhere. Damn.

Doubt crossed the man's face, but he simply frowned and hobbled away. With a sigh, Lily dropped the parchment and collapsed on her desk.

"You could have been a bit more discreet. I gave you fair warning, you know."

Lily peered up to meet the soft brown eyes of a tall brunette, rhythmically tapping the teacup in her hand. "I tried," she grumbled. "I just don't work well under pressure."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "You don't say."

Lily fumbled with the stapler and it toppled to the floor. As she stood, several sheets of parchment were sucked off the desk, haphazardly stapled to the front of her robes. "Ugh, not _again_."

The brunette chuckled, waving her wand, and the staples clattered to the floor.

"Thanks, Mei," Lily grumbled.

Mei leaned casually against Lily's desk and took a sip of her steaming tea. "Seen the _Prophet_ this morning?"

"No. Why?"

Mei tossed the paper onto her desk. She gaped at the front page article of the sports section:

_James Potter, renowned Quidditch Chaser for the Dragon Knights is calling it quits. Shirley Nesbit gets the inside story on his change of heart. "I'm retiring," says Potter._

"He's retiring? What is he, ninety?" Lily scoffed.

"Keep reading," Mei said.

_The twenty-two-year-old has been offered positions for top teams such as the Golden Blitzes and The Wasps. He was even presented a still-standing opportunity to join England's National Team. What caused this decision to end his budding career? Is he settling down now? We guessed that he'd found that lucky girl, however he denied it: "It'll take a lot to impress me."_

"Self-absorbed prat."

"Ah, but you missed the best part," Mei tapped the backside of the page.

"I don't want to hear anymore about bloody Potter," she grumbled.

"All right, if you insist. I just thought you might like to know he's moved into a complex on Warrington Way."

Lily primly began restacking her files. "Why should I care if he's—Wait. Warrington…that's—that's _our_ complex!"

"Calm down," Mei folded up the paper. "It's no big deal. He's just trying to live a normal life, apparently."

Lily ignored her. She was frantic. "Do you know what it's going to be like for me? I'll never have a moment's rest. He will make my life a living hell." James Potter was invading her life, and she'd decidedly put that portion of her past behind her. Far, far behind her.

"Oh, stop with the dramatics."

"It's bad enough he's some big-time Quidditch player."

"_Was_."

"And here I am, pushing papers! Bloody hell!" Lily shoved her chair out. "I can't do this anymore, Mei. I can't."

Mei shook her head, frowning. "Lily, _you_ wanted to be an intern at the Ministry, so I got you this job. There are hundreds of other applicants who—"

"I know, I know," she waved a hand. "I just…didn't expect to be fetching tea the rest of my life. I can't show my face to James Potter with a job like this!"

"Lily! We can't all be Ministers at the beginning," Mei laughed. "Why does it matter?"

"I just want to make a difference."

"You want to _prove_ something to James."

"I _want_ a good job."

"Yes, Lily, and I want to shag Greg from the mail room. We can't all do earth-shattering things." She sipped her coffee and thoughtfully tilted her head toward a young blonde man shuffling through stacks of crumpled parchment. "Or can we…? Excuse me."

Lily shoved the files out of her way so she could collapse once more. She sighed wistfully and peeked sideways out the tiny slat of a window, her cheek pressed to the cool mahogany of her desk. It was a bright, sunny day. Well, not really. The Department was below ground, but it had been charmed that way.

How did she get here? Where had she gone wrong? In Hogwarts, she was so certain she'd have everything upon graduation: a fantastic job, _money_, a husband maybe?

Of course, nothing was that simple. The dark times had shot all those dreams to hell. With such uncertainty, one could never know whom to trust, and it made getting a job even more difficult. She wished she could blame it on that, but the only one who'd really put her in this position was herself.

An owl fluttered past and awoke Lily from her trance. The clock on the far wall had struck "refresh tea" and was already teetering dangerously on "Tell wife I'm in a meeting."

Before Lily could push out her chair, Greg from the mail room appeared at her desk and dropped a small pink envelope in front of her. Her eyes widened and she looked at him quizzically. Since when did _she_ get mail?

"What's this…?"

Greg shrugged glumly as he sauntered off.

Lily examined the oddly shaped letter in her hands, but before she could begin to tear into it, the envelope burst open in a flurry of confetti and glitter, spraying her in the face. "Augh!"

"_YOU'RE IIIIIIIIIIIIIINVITED! Yes indeed, my friend_!"

Lily groaned as the letter folded itself into a little origami witch and began disco dancing amidst the little fireworks that spewed from the envelope.

"_It's that time of year! Five years have gone by—how are your classmates_?"

"Oh God," Lily blanched. She reached for the envelope to crumple it up, but was immediately shot with a blast of sparks.

"_Ah—ah—ah_!" The little paper witch waggled her finger. "_You can't escape that easily! This is your five year reunion! You can't miss this! It'll be a blast_!" More sparks flew. "_The stay will be three nights of fantastical fun! Each day will have a new surprise in store for you Hogwartian Alumni! And as you know, it is a time-honored tradition for the former Head Students to prepare an appropriate speech on the big evening where we hold a Reunion Ball! So, I, Alison Alabaster, your very own Head of the Reunion Committee, present you with this Invitation That Can't Be Refused®! Thanks to the makers of Ivan Carroll's Impeccable Invites and Cards, if you aren't a) incapacitated by way of splinching, b) incarcerated, or c) dead, then you shall be cursed with twenty years of pain and suffering upon discarding this card and refusing to RSVP. Thanks, and see you in week!"_

"Three nights?" Lily groaned and slid down in her chair. It was bad enough the Christmas season was here and she was busier than ever. How was she supposed to get three days off? She was so strapped for cash she could barely even afford a loaf of bread let alone a pile of Christmas presents.

Folding up the remnants of the invitation (she figured she should RSVP as soon as possible; eternal suffering was not the first thing on her Christmas list), Lily scribbled her acceptance on the back and added it to the outbox to be sent off to Alison Alabaster, that insufferably perky little twig.

It wasn't that Lily didn't love her old school— just that, well…there were certain people she really didn't care to see again. Namely one.

Mei suddenly rounded the corner, waving a matching pink envelope, glitter and confetti stuck in her hair. "You've _got_ to be bloody kidding me."

--

Lily couldn't shake the dread of the impending reunion, and thoughts continued to swirl about in her head as she perused the aisles of Morton's Magical Market. She hazily pulled random boxes and cans from the shelf, not paying attention to much of anything outside her own bubble of thought.

CRASH!

Lily snapped from her daze and rubbed her head. A few of the shelves had collapsed and boxes of Charmed O's had conked her on the head and spilled all over. When she blinked and looked up, she saw two carts entangled on their sides. A handsome dark-haired man was crouched across from her, rubbing his backside. He peered at her quizzically a moment.

And then a small smile spread across his face, his hazel eyes flashing malevolently. "Well, if it isn't Miss Lily Evans."

Lily caught her breath…and then her blood began to boil. James Potter was staring back at her with flippant eyes. "_James_," she said with what dignity she could muster with sugarcoated breakfast cereal in her hair.

He stood up and held out his hand to help her up. He looked completely different…and yet, exactly the same. He seemed to have filled out. He was no longer gangly, but broader in appearance. He was still slender…but he looked like a grown man now, his facial features more defined. Lily became aware of her gaping mouth and shut it quickly.

She stared at his hand a moment, hesitating, and then took it. A slight jolt went through her body and she shivered a bit as he pulled her up. His eyes went wide. "You seemed to have filled out quite nicely, Lils," he winked.

She slapped him.

He rubbed his cheek and glowered. "Same Lily I remember. Unfortunately."

"Yes, well you don't seem to have changed much either."

"I'm famous."

She rolled her eyes. "Then _why_ are you shopping at this little market?"

"I like the rustics," he said pompously.

"_Rustics_?" Lily growled furiously under her breath. This was where _she _shopped! And it was a bloody well-to-do little _urban_ town! "Look, Potter, I never wanted this little incident to take place, so let's just pretend it never happened."

"Fine by me. Yours was the last face I expected to see."

"Ugh!" she puffed reproachfully. "Get out of my way."

"Oh, pardon me, Your Eminence." He bowed mockingly as she shoved angrily past, forgetting her overturned cart. She didn't need all that junk anyway. She was gaining plenty of weight…in certain places apparently pleasing to James, and that must be stopped.

"I don't care if I ever see you again!" she hissed.

"I see you've grown up nice and mature."

"Shut up! I can't believe I ever dated you!"

"_You_ can't believe it?" James guffawed. "Let's talk about the years I wasted on_ you_."

"Oh." Lily stopped dead, narrowing her eyes darkly. She tried to remain steady despite the sharp pang she'd felt. "Wasted, were they?" She huffed and turned her back on him.

"There you go. Off to bury your face in a ruddy book."

Lily rounded on him violently. "Just where do you get off insulting _me_?" She spat bitingly.

Eyes glinting, James took a step closer to her. "You deserve _everything_ that comes your way, Evans. In fact, how's that French Ministry position working out for you, hmm? _Fantastique_?"

In the blink of an eye, Lily's wand was pulled, its tip pressed dangerously to his chest. "Have I told you lately how much I _despise_ you?"

James snagged her wrist tightly before she could get a spell in. "Don't play that game with me, Evans."

Lily stared up at him brazenly, her emerald eyes full of fire. She wrenched her hand away and made to sheath her wand.

"Always stubborn." James straightened his jacket. "I never cared much for that damned attitude of yours."

Without warning, Lily spun back around and pulled her wand. "_Engorgio_!"

James blinked.

"Er…" Lily stared blankly at the tip of her wand. Nothing. She shook it furiously and pointed it back at James. "_Confringo_!"

Not even a spark.

"Er..._Stupefy_?"

It hung limply in her hand.

"Ruddy thing!" Lily shook the wand violently.

"Really, Lily. If you're planning on blowing me to bits, you might want to get that thing looked at," James said lazily.

"Fine!" Lily threw up her hands. "Once again, James Potter prevails. Bravo."

James rolled his eyes. "There's no need to get violent just because I'm successful and you aren't."

Her jaw dropped.

"Really. Jealousy is not an attractive quality."

Lily was shaking with fury now, but James was already halfway down the aisle.

"See you around," he said as he rounded the corner, "_neighbor_."

Knuckles whitening, Lily nearly snapped the wand in her fist.

--

A spoon clinked against the rim of a mug as Mei stirred her tea.

Lily was pouting across the kitchen table, staring forlornly at her untouched dinner. "I don't want to go to the reunion."

"I doubt anyone does, but since we all value our health…" Mei took a delicate sip.

"And if we value our sanity more?"

"Lily," Mei sighed, "What is the matter with you? You've been in a foul bloody mood since you got home."

"I had a collision at the market."

"A collision?" Mei began clearing away their plates. "Like, carts colliding?"

Lily huffed. "Yes. With James Potter."

"Ah. Well you'd better get used to it. He lives here now."

"I tried to hex him," she replied bluntly.

"Wow. You should really give the welcoming committee some pointers," she furrowed her brow and disappeared into the kitchen.

"My wand wouldn't work."

Mei shrugged when she reemerged. "Maybe you did the hex wrong."

"I thought so too at first, but then I couldn't get any of the other jinxes and spells to work."

"Hmm."

"My wand is working fine now, of course." Lily grimaced, fingering the hem of her sleeve.

"That's odd. Maybe you just weren't focused enough because of all the confusion," she reasoned. "Or…" she tapped her chin, "maybe it's Fate."

Lily frowned and looked Mei straight in the eye. "_Fate_?"

"Well, you know…You two ended on such bad terms, maybe you defied something that was simply meant to be," she suggested.

"Then why wait five years to bite us in the arse? Come on, Mei, you know I don't believe in that stuff."

She shrugged. "I'm just saying, it could be—"

--

"—Fate. I'm telling you Prongs, it's got to be Fate."

"What?" James scoffed. "What are you on about?"

His best friend Sirius Black shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm just saying."

"Yeah, well stuff it. You know I don't believe in that stuff. _You_ don't even believe in that stuff."

"I never said that. Here," he tossed James a shoe from where he sat on the couch.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"To beat yourself over the bloody head with for not apologizing to Lily Evans on the spot. She's gorgeous, James!"

"I'm not attracted to her!"

"You were."

James waved the shoe at Sirius pointedly. "Exactly. _Past tense_."

"Then why are you still talking about her?"

"What— I—I wasn't! You were asking— Oh forget it." He threw the smelly shoe at Sirius.

"Well you'll get the opportunity at the Reunion."

"Oh. That." James pinched the bridge of his nose. "Talk about wasted time."

"In the meantime," Sirius stood up and wandered into his kitchen, "you've got that interview to think about."

"Right…" James trailed off, perking a bit at the thought of his new potential job. After all, how could they turn him down?

He wandered to his room and flopped onto his bed. He gazed up at the ceiling where Quidditch players buzzed past over his head from poster to poster, playing little games with the other teams. He loved Quidditch, but it wasn't what he wanted to do the rest of his life.

He rolled over. Something had been nagging at the back of his mind.

Checking to make sure his door was shut, he walked into the closet. At the very back, several stacks of boxes towered over his head. He shuffled through them haphazardly until he found a tiny little gray one buried at the back of the lot.

He took a seat right there on the closet floor and lifted the lid. There were notes, crumpled parchment, a little flower and some pictures. He sorted through them and paused at one of him and a little redhead, picnicking by the lake. There was another of Sirius desperately pulling up his pants with one hand attempting to hide the camera lens and Lily running the opposite direction laughing. James snickered. He took that picture. Perfect timing. Another: Lily with her arms around him and his other good friend Remus Lupin— they were standing with their backs to a carousel. He could make out his friend Peter in the distance, legs flailing, clinging for dear life as the enchanted Hippogriff kept trying to buck him off.

He paused. Lily's soft auburn tresses brushed her cheek; James leaned forward, swept them aside, and stole a kiss. He remembered how soft and warm her lips were…how comforting it was to pull her in a tight embrace…Suddenly Lily and James' hands flew up, trying to cover the lens, yelling at the person behind the camera.

Where had he gone wrong?

James snapped from his daze. He grumbled to himself, shoved the photos back into the box, shut the lid, and waved his wand. It buzzed back to its spot among the towering stacks.

He had to stop doing that.


	2. Opportunity Knocks

**Chapter Two: Opportunity Knocks**

The bittersweet smell of coffee filled Lily's nostrils, easing her out of a deep sleep. The flat was warm and bright. It wasn't a typical gloomy autumn day; it was actually quite sunny. Though she could tell, pressing her hand against the windowpane, that it was still icy outside, the sun's warmth brightened things significantly.

Today was a new day.

Lily noticed that Mei was up, her flowery sheets in a crumpled mess at the foot of her bed. She slipped her feet into slippers and wandered into the living room.

"Morning," Mei was shuffling around with a steaming mug. She handed it to Lily who took it gratefully.

Lily plopped down in a chair at the breakfast table, faced with the latest edition of the _Prophet_. She frowned and raised a fair brow at Mei. "What's this? I don't want any more Potter news."

"Relax. I'm doing you a favor. Just read," she sipped.

Lily turned her focus back to the slightly crinkled page, noticing a particularly dark circle of ink where a quill had scratched a frame around an advert. "What…"

_Now Hiring: _

_Professional, qualified graduate students for Internal Relations positions at WizNet Inc. _

_Make a change in your career, make a change in your life! Act now to make a difference. _

Mei had underlined "make a difference" several times.

"Well?" She said expectantly, the steam of her coffee softening the thick curls of her hair.

Lily wasn't listening. Her eyes had traveled just below to a small, finely printed square beneath it, heart pounding with rising exhilaration.

_Now accepting applicants for level one Auror training. Dates are as follow:_

_Nov. 5_

_Nov. 12_

_Nov. 18_

_Contact Ministry of Magic official Greta Grimm for details._

Mei nervously followed Lily's eyes and frowned. "Lily—"

"This is it," Lily backhanded the page. "This is the one."

"No, no, no," Mei intervened quickly, snatching the _Prophet_ from her, jabbing her finger at the WizNet ad. "Look! You fit all the qualifications for this one—"

But Lily still wasn't listening. Her eyes had glazed, and her imagination was wandering. Her…an Auror. Could this finally be the opportunity she'd held out for?

"Er, look!" Mei added desperately, "You can 'make a difference'! Isn't that what you wanted?"

Lily swatted the notion away with a hand. "Mei, please. Auror is the _perfect_ job for me! I can help people _and_ show up James Potter. This is brilliant!"

"Lily," Mei injected sternly, "You can't even make it through a day without stapling something to yourself. An Auror? _Really_?"

"Well you don't have to be so mean about it," Lily grumbled.

"Lil…" Mei sighed, dropping the paper on the table, concern flooding her bright brown eyes. "I'm sorry…but I just don't think this is the right job for you. I know you're talented, but—"

"Then what's the problem?" her face sank. "I'm perfectly capable!"

Mei furrowed her brow. "Aren't there…" she frowned, "less _dangerous_ careers out there?"

Lily narrowed her eyes fiercely. "'Danger' _runs_ in my veins."

Mei was deadpan. "Your parents were accountants."

"Nevertheless," Lily brushed it aside, "If I want to make something of myself, I have to carve my own fate!"

Mei groaned. "Fine, Lily. As long as you pay the rent."

--

After work the next day, Lily stopped by to drop off her application.

"Er, are you Greta Grimm?" she said to a stout blonde woman with a rather large bouffant behind the desk. "I brought this."

The woman's bright red lips pursed into a thin line as she plucked the stack of parchment from Lily's hand. "Please. Take a seat," she said primly. "Mr. Morgan has been waiting for you."

Lily cringed at the clumping blue shadow about her heavily creased eyes. "Er…I think you misunderstand. I'm just here to leave my application for Auror Training."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps _you_ misunderstand. If you want the job, _take a seat_."

Lily shied away. "Er…okay then." She waited quietly, chewing on her lower lip nervously. She hadn't planned on meeting with someone so soon. What would they ask her?

"He will see you now." She licked her lips and removed half the peeling red color.

Lily swallowed hard and stepped nervously into the dungeon-like office. It was dimly lit; only a few candles levitated randomly about the room. There was a single window enchanted to make it appear as though they were peering out at the surface of the ocean. The sky was overcast and dark.

Okay. It was just a _little_ bit creepy.

A large foreboding chair was looming in the corner behind an unreasonably gigantic desk. The chair flipped around rather suddenly, startling Lily.

"Good afternoon," crooned a voice.

Lily squinted, but she couldn't see anyone. "Er. Hello?"

"I'm right here!" The voice squeaked irately.

"Oh. Er— _oh_. Sorry," Lily put a hand to her mouth at the sight of him. A tiny little dwarf of a bald man sat in the chair glaring furiously, the gleam of his balding head reflecting the muted candlelight.

His expression turned firm rather than angry and he cleared his throat pompously. "No matter. I am J.B. Morgan, Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Division. Greetings."

"Erm. Greetings. I…like your décor."

"Thank you. Now, on to business. Do you know _why_ you've been called to a meeting, Ms. Evans?"

"No." She shook her head meekly.

"Well then. I will tell you, my dear," he squeaked and hopped (with difficulty) from his chair. He began pacing in front of the desk, which accentuated his vertical deficiency, his stumpy legs thumping about on the floor. "Evans, you file."

"Er. Yes."

"You…label and stamp?"

She nodded.

He shook his head and sighed. "You," he quickly glanced down at the large file in his little fists, "_pour coffee_."

"It's a respectable job," she puffed up. "People need caffeine!"

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "True as that may be, I find that your services are minor here at the Ministry."

Lily bit her tongue. What did that mean? What sort of job interview was this?

"Ms. Evans, I regret to inform you that your services are no longer necessary to your Department. You will be relieved of all duties pertaining to…"

Morgan's words buzzed Lily's head like flies. _What?_ She was being sacked? She'd just come in here to drop off her application!

"Evans. _Evans_. Are you paying attention to me?"

Lily snapped from her daze. "Of course! I- I'm sorry. I-I'll go collect my things…"

"Good thinking. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be expecting you."

"Huh?"

He heaved a sigh. "Don't make me regret transferring you, Evans. We've had our eye on you, hoping you'd apply for this position. Your resumé is outstanding."

"What? Really?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. You were Head Girl at Howarts, top of the class, you speak four languages, and scored excellently on your N.E.W.T.S. I'm amazed no other Ministry has snapped you up! And here you've been, under my nose the whole time."

Lily gulped, thoughts drifting guiltily elsewhere. "Er…right."

"Auror training begins promptly at seven tomorrow. You will be tested along with several other qualified applicants."

Wow… this was really happening! "Thank you so much, sir! I won't disappoint you!"

"I should hope not," he replied darkly. "We're making a few cuts for the new year. If you fail to pass, you will be _terminated_."

Lily's stomach flopped. "Oh. Right…of course…" She swallowed hard and backed carefully out of the office.

"Good luck," he added as she slipped out of the door.

"Right…" Lily paled visibly, clutching the stitch of her chest. What had she gotten herself into? If she didn't pass this training, she'd be sacked! She couldn't afford to lose her job!

"What are _you_ doing here?" a voice spat from across the room.

If possible, Lily paled even more. There, lounging casually in the waiting room, was James Potter. Anger welled. "Me? I _work_ here. What are _you_ doing here?"

He stood and moved smoothly toward her, eyes narrowing as he did so. "I'm applying for a job. _You_?"

"_You_, the famous ex-Quidditch player, are applying for a grunt job at the Ministry?" Lily guffawed.

"Not _ex-_Quidditch player," he retorted defensively. "Just…on temporary leave to pursue other opportunities."

"Right."

Recovering, he languidly flicked a bit of lint from his sleeve. "And what makes you think I'm here for grunt work, anyway? I _am_ James Potter."

"How fabulous for you. Good luck with that last bit." Lily shoved past him, but he caught her sleeve and flung her back before him effortlessly.

"Not so fast, Evans," his eyes were alight with mischief, an all too familiar look for Lily. "Just what were you doing in there?"

Lily bit her cheek. Should she reveal her plan now, or savor it later at the Reunion?

"Getting accepted to the Auror Training program," she blurted. She never liked waiting anyhow.

James burst out laughing. "_You_? An _Auror_? HA!"

Lily ripped her arm free of his grasp and grimaced. "Well what about you? What's your grand plan for work, hmm?"

He shrugged and waved his resumé in the air. "Same."

She snatched the parchment from him and scanned it hastily. Her stomach plummeted. "No," she shook her head in denial. Now she had to battle him for the position? "You _have_ to stop invading my life! Leave. Right now."

James swelled. "_You_ leave."

"No."

"Well we both can't do this."

James seemed to be filling with uncharacteristic rage. "_Evans_," he warned, "Not everything is about you!"

"It's always about _you_," she retorted, folding her arms crossly. "Can't it be about me just this once?"

"No."

Lily dropped her hands. "James! Please! This is…this is my livelihood we're talking about," she blurted, cursing herself inwardly for breaking down. "Can't you just, for one second, _forget_ about us? Just forget_ everything_, and give me this one little thing."

"I'm sorry, Lily." James' eyes were cold. "I can't do that." He plucked his crinkled resumé from her clammy grip and disappeared past her into J.B. Morgan's dark office.

--

Sirius massaged his temples and laid down his periodical.

"Hey," James stepped out of the kitchen.

"Hey Prongs," Sirius said softly. "Heard from Peter lately?"

"Who?" James shook his head. "Say, have you seen my wand?"

"Oh, wonderful words for a future Auror," Sirius muttered and looked up. "James…where are your clothes, mate?"

"Huh?" James looked down. "Bloody hell. I knew I was forgetting something."

Sirius eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh…wait. What was I doing again?" James looked around the room absent-mindedly.

"Your wand? And clothes?"

"Um. What?" James looked at the wall.

"All right. That's it. Who put the memory charm on you, James?" Sirius said, grabbing James' arms, leading him into the dining room and setting him down at the table.

"Oh. Good morning, Peter."

"I'm Sirius, you dolt." He rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen, slamming cupboards and pulling stuff out. "Figures this would happen the day you have to start at the Ministry. Hopefully I can whip up a potion in time to fix this."

There was a knock at the door. James perked. "A package? For me, perhaps?"

Sirius shoved past him roughly and flung open the door.

A stout, blonde man was holding out a brown bag with a grin. "I brought pasties."

Sirius grasped him tightly and yanked him inside. "Pete! Thank Merlin. There's something wrong with James."

"Lovely weather, don't you think?" James said cheerfully.

Peter frowned. "What's got him so happy?"

"Don't know. I think his memory's gone," he said, stomping back into the kitchen. He slammed a cupboard door. "Sod it. We're out of rosemary and frogeyes. I can't make the potion without them. The longer we wait, the faster his memory will go." He looked dully at James who had begun humming Belgium's national anthem.

Peter sniggered. "This is brilliant." He crouched down in front of his friend. "Look at his eyes. They're dialated. That means it's only temporary."

"Good morning, James!" James sang with a small leap, a bit of something fluttering out of his pocket.

Sirius slapped his hands over his face and let them drag down slowly, stretching his skin. "Damnit. He's going to miss his training. I recommended him for the position. If he doesn't show up, it'll hurt both of us." He slumped down at the table. "Lily will have a good laugh at least."

Peter stopped snickering and casually picked up the scrap of something James had lost. "Who?" He unraveled it and blanched.

"Lily Evans," he repeated casually. "She's been moved to the Magical Law Enforcement division."

"Training as an Auror?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Peter shook his head. "Isn't it obvious?" He held out the crumpled scrap. "Padfoot, he's trying to forget about her."

"What do you—" Sirius peered at it, eyes widening. Though creased and faded, Lily and James grinned up at him from the old photograph, eyes sparkling. They turned to each other and stole a kiss. "_Oh_. You think…Are you saying he tried to obliterate his own memory?"

"Probably to forget about her, seeing as they'd be working together."

"Moron. I can't believe that's still bothering him." Sirius looked at James who smiled dumbly. "Well, looks like he'll have to remember the hard way for now. Thankfully he hasn't done too much damage to himself. I can repair it with the right ingredients."

"I'll run to Diagon Alley." He shot a look of concern in the direction of James, who was spinning idly on a stool.

"Right. Then I suppose I'll have to take him like this," Sirius cringed. "This is just marvelous."

--

Lily was staring at a photograph and fiddling with a small pebble in her left hand.

"_James?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Do you believe in soul mates?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You know…one person that fits you perfectly. One person to love and love you back forever."_

"_Forever's too long."_

"_I'm serious, James."_

"_Ow! Sorry. I suppose. It doesn't really matter though. I've already found a person that fits me." He pulled her tight and kissed her forehead. "I don't need to worry about that."_

"Lily?" Mei's voice snapped Lily back to the present. She quickly stuffed the things back into a box and tossed it into the closet. "What're you doing?"

"Er…just getting ready."

"Well…" Mei trailed off as she passed by the door, "good luck."

Lily finished buttoning her shirt and peered at herself in the mirror. Wow. Her first day of training to be an Auror. She never thought something like this would happen to her. She'd never had any formal training or prep classes in Hogwarts for it, but because of her extensive knowledge of languages and spells, she was a perfect candidate according to Mr. Morgan.

She pulled on her robes and fastened the clasp of her cloak. Her long auburn hair was smoothed back in a ponytail and her clothes were impeccably neat. A fiery glint in her emerald eyes reflected off the mirror. Ready to take on the world, she was.

Now. If only her anxiety-induced nausea would subside.

--

"Name?"

"Ummm…"

"James Potter," Sirius filled in angrily. He smacked James in the back of the head. "James! James Potter! _That_ is your name!"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

The pleasant female voice in the telephone booth continued. "Business?"

"A cup of tea would be quite nice, actually. If you will."

"Bloody hell, James! He's here for the Auror training. _You twit_," he hissed. "And I'm Sirius Black, Auror, third class."

"Thank you, one moment please."

They descended in the lift until they reached the ground floor. One button shot out of the coin slot of the telephone.

_Ummm Bloody Hell James Potter_

_Auror Training _

Sirius sighed and pinned it to the helpless young man's shirt. The two checked in at the front and headed past the marble fountain for the lift.

"'Morning, Sirius," Mei greeted, appearing beside them after he pushed the button.

"Oh, good morning," he said shiftily, trying to hide James.

"Who's that you've got there?" she peered past Sirius' shoulder to get a look, but he quickly shifted to block her view. "Just a friend. So, er, how are you this fine day?"

Ding! The doors opened.

"The cookies are ready!" James said delightedly.

Mei took the opportunity of Sirius smacking his forehead to get a look at the hidden companion. She gasped. "James! James Potter!"

James blinked.

"How are you?"

No response.

"It's me, Mei Everdene… From Hogwarts? …Lily's best friend?" Her hand hung limply in the air waiting for him to shake.

James looked at her dumbly.

"I guess he doesn't remember you…how rude of him. Er, shall we catch the lift?" Sirius stepped inside and held the door.

"Sure…" Mei followed. "Oh, here comes Lily."

"Wait! Hold the door, please!" Lily puffed, her arms flailing.

"Oh brilliant," Sirius muttered.

"Thanks, Sirius. I thought I was going to be late—" Lily stopped dead in her tracks and the doors shut softly behind her with a thump. "_James__._"

James just stared at her silently. "Um…I'm sorry, do I know you?"

She gritted her teeth, tapping her foot violently on the floor. "There were two other training days, Potter, and you just _had _tochose this one. You've got a lot of nerve."

James looked completely baffled.

Sirius tried to step in. "Lily, this is the day he was assigned."

"No! Reschedule. He's just going out of his way to make my life miserable."

"Lily, calm down, it's just James," Mei said.

"Yeah Lily, calm down," James repeated.

"You shut up, you twit!"

Sirius rubbed his temples. "Enough! His appointment is today. Believe me," he grumbled, "I _tried_ to change it."

James began whistling mindlessly to the annoying background music.

"What is wrong with him?" Lily gaped. "Did a piano fall on his head?"

Sirius sighed. "If you must know, he lost his memory by accident."

"Ha! That's a load!" Lily cried. "He's just screwing with me, the git. You hear that James? I'm not stupid."

James just gazed at her for a moment with his head tilted.

Lily shifted uncomfortably in the silence. "What are you looking at?" she snapped.

James blinked as if out of a daze and turned to Sirius. "She's really pretty. Who is she?"

Lily just gaped and felt the blood rush to her face.

"She could use an attitude adjustment though," he added.

The embarrassment melded into anger once again. "Why you—!" Mei had to hold her back so she wouldn't cause James more memory damage.

"I hope you rot, James Potter, you selfish, pigheaded git!"

He simply blinked at her, then began whistling again.

Her ponytail swished to a halt and her emerald eyes froze on him. "He… he really doesn't remember anything, does he?" She turned to Sirius. "He's clever, but Potter would have snapped at me by now."

"That's what I tried to tell you," Sirius shook his head. "Well, since now you know, you can watch him for me."

Ding! The doors opened.

"What?" Lily's bewildered voice was lost in the shuffling of cloaks as Sirius slipped out along with Mei and headed down the hallway.

"You two have class together, I have to work. Ta!"

"What? You—!"

Ding! The doors shut in her face.

Monotonous music began once again, being the only thing that kept the awkward silence at bay. That and James' terribly off-key whistling.

"Er…so…" Lily rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Here she was, standing beside James Potter, the one person she hated above all others, and he hadn't a clue any of the things they'd ever done to each other. Hogwarts, their relationship, the pranks: all gone. Their animosity had been wiped clean with one little mishap of a spell.

James stopped whistling and stared at her.

It was ironic.

"Have we met before?" he cocked his head.

Or could it be "fate," as Mei had put it?

She gazed back at him for a moment. She opened her mouth to prepare an insult, but thought better of it and instead held out her hand. "I don't believe we have. I'm Lily Evans."

He shook it, grinning. "Pleasure to meet you."


End file.
